Summary: A quiet moment for Mellie in the Rose Garden as she contemplates what's really important.
A/N: Mellie is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters on Scandal and this was crying out to me to be written. Jerry Grant and his son have stolen much of Mellie's life and she's made more sacrifices than anyone could ask. This is all about her getting some of that back and finding herself. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Disclaimer: No infringement intended. All characters belong to ABC and Shonda Rhimes. I just borrowed them for this short.
Mellie strolled through the Rose Garden with Teddy and took a deep breath. Normally, she'd never be caught there unless there were reporters or someone else she needed to impress. But this morning, she'd had to get away but she hadn't wanted to be alone. When she'd gone into the nursery to check on Teddy, he'd been standing in his crib and his little face lit up upon seeing her.
Fitz was quick to throw the mother gene in her face or her lack of it, but she loved her children more than anything. And, they loved her. She knew that with out a doubt. In fact, they were the only people who loved her unconditionally. That's why Karen and Jerry were away at school. If Fitz thought she would allow her children to be around to witness the animosity between their parents on a daily basis, he was more delusional than usual. She loved her children and she would protect them even from Fitz...and herself. But Teddy was here...so, here she was enjoying Teddy's company in his favorite place.
She laid a blanket on the ground next to a bench and lifted Teddy from the stroller before setting him on his feet and taking a seat. Mellie watched while he dropped to his bottom and reached for the toy she pulled from his bag. As she watched him play, she let her mind wander.
Last night she'd known Fitz was with Olivia and it broke her heart again. But what did she expect, in spite of the fact that she loved him, he was his father's son. That wasn't going to change. He wasn't going to change. When she thought about it, much of this was her fault.
Fifteen years ago she had wanted the Governor's Mansion and the White House, so bad that she could taste it. But she'd wanted it more for Fitz than herself. He was constantly trying to prove himself to his father to make Big Jerry proud. All she'd wanted to do was help people. She had nothing to prove. Mellie graduated top of her law class and made partner within three years. She had NOTHING to prove. Life was golden. But Fitz...
Big Jerry had been an evil bastard and he'd stolen something from her that she could never get back. In the moment he raped Mellie, he'd done more than violate her body. He'd violated her soul. He'd stolen the idea that the world could ever truly be a safe place. He stolen any naïveté that the world was good. He'd stolen her trust. That was one of the reasons she no longer had friends...not real ones to whom you could tell your secrets, but she had Teddy. Teddy didn't care what had happened in the past or what she'd done, he just loved her because she was his mom and he could count on her to always be there.
And she would be. For years, Mellie had focused on Fitz...what he needed, what would get him in a good mood. She encouraged his affair in the hopes it would run it's course and she'd have her husband back. They'd been happy once. But, she was slowly but surely coming to the realization that she had to focus on herself. No one else would. She didn't know if she could be indifferent to Fitz but she was at a place where she was ready to try it. Mellie was tired of being humiliated and heartbroken. She deserved better.
"Mellie?"
"Yes?" She glanced behind her to Fitz who was standing in a door of the West Wing looking back at her.
"What are you doing in the Rose Garden? You hate the Rose Garden?"
"Why do you care?" She asked softly, mild curiosity evident in her tone.
For a moment, Fitz was quiet. He sighed and answered, "I just wanted to make sure everything was okay."
"Everything is fine. Teddy and I are just enjoying the morning."
Fitz glanced around and then looked back at her. "Teddy's with you?"
Mellie felt tiny hands on her knee and looked down at a grinning Teddy. "Did you hear daddy's voice?" She asked him softly with a smile as he bounced up and down. Mellie added louder to Fitz, "Yes, he's with me."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Everything's fine Fitz," she replied, conviction in her voice. She lifted Teddy to her lap and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead before looking back at Fitz.
"Are you coming in to talk campaign strategy?" He asked and stood waiting to hear her answer.
"No," she answered and watched as his eyebrows rose in surprise. "Cyrus will let me know anything I need to."
She watched as confusion, followed by suspicion ran across his face and just shook her head looking back at Teddy. Uncertainty might do Fitz good. And at this moment, with the one person around, who loved her despite, or maybe because of, who she was, she didn't care about Fitz or what he thought. She wanted to spend the day with Teddy before she was drawn back into the drama of faking for the American people.
When she'd aired her dirty laundry, all Mellie had thought about was the pain and humiliation she suffered at Fitz's hands. Now she knew that she could have handled everything a little bit better. She was suffering the consequences of her choices and Fitz's. If she could go back, Mellie would do so many things differently, but she couldn't. Today, Mellie planned to spend the day enjoying her baby son and forgetting about anything but him.
Realizing Fitz was still in the door, she asked in an impatient voice, "Is there anything else?"
"No. I guess I'll see you later." He looked back uncertain but walked back through the door after a long moment.
Mellie looked back at Teddy and in a sing song voice, she asked, "Do you want to go for a walk?"
His face split into a grin and he answered her in a series of baby words that she was sure were in agreement.
"Well, let's make that happen," she replied, before retrieving her phone from the stroller. Mellie dialed a familiar number and waited for the call to be answered. Upon hearing the soft 'hello' on the other end, she answered, "Rachel, please cancel all my meetings for today and tomorrow."
"Are you sure? You have several planning meetings today and tomorrow, plus you have a luncheon with Congresswoman Price."
"Reschedule them all. Get a number for Jane Como of the National Federation for the Protection of Battered Women and set up a meeting for tomorrow."
"Do you want her to come to the White House?"
"No, I'll go to her."
"I'll set it up with Mike so he can have your detail ready."
"Thanks Rachel…for everything."
"Yes, ma'am. My pleasure."
Mellie ended the call and smiled down at Teddy who had been sitting quietly and listening to her voice. "Are you ready for that walk?" Teddy answered in more baby gibberish. "Let's go."
She set Teddy back in the stroller and glanced at the Secret Service Agent who was never far away. It was about time Mellie started focusing on what was really important and that began right now.